Porsche Penske Motorsport dominates Road America

With its victory in the eighth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Porsche has extended its lead in all championship standings. The two Porsche 963 cars from Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports finished in fifth and sixth positions, respectively. In the GTD-Pro class, the Porsche customer team AO Racing defended their lead in the overall standings with a fourth-place finish.

The race

Spectators at the picturesque Road America witnessed one of the most exciting IMSA races in recent history on Sunday. After five safety car phases, the decision for the win came in a final 17-minute sprint. Porsche Penske Motorsport had performed optimal strategic work leading into this shootout, maneuvering the two Porsche 963 cars to the front. En route to Porsche’s fourth win of the season, Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 6 car and Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 car kept their cool and fended off all attacks from strong competitors.

“Motorsport doesn’t get much better and more exciting than this. It was once again a celebration for all sports car racing fans and a beautiful double victory for our team,” exclaimed Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “With the great success at Road America, we have further improved our position in the championship and are now heading into the last two races of the year in high spirits.”

Minor setbacks

Both Porsche 963s experienced minor setbacks on the way to the Porsche Penske Motorsport team’s fourth win of the season. The No. 6 car had to serve a drive-through penalty due to an early collision with a competitor, initially losing contact with the front. The sister car came in for an unscheduled pit stop shortly after the halfway mark to replace a damaged rear section. Thanks to clever tactics, the team’s strategists brought both hybrid cars to the front for the grand finale.

Pit strategy works

“We turned the tables impressively just before the end. The last few laps were not for the faint-hearted,” summarizes Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. He adds: “After a disappointing qualifying on Saturday, the conditions didn’t look promising. On race day, we rewarded ourselves for perfect work. The strategy was absolutely top-notch, and the drivers were incredibly fast and consistent. Overall, it was an amazing team effort!”

“I couldn’t have imagined such a result in my wildest dreams,” says Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “It was a wonderful day. The No. 7 car extended its lead in the championship, and Porsche’s lead in the manufacturers’ standings also increased. This race is a prime example of great teamwork: everyone gave their all for the overall project. Now we celebrate this fantastic success!”

Championship points

In the manufacturers’ championship, Porsche now leads with a margin of 89 points. The No. 7 crew of Porsche Penske Motorsport is in P1 of the team standings. The two-time season winners Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron head into the penultimate race of the season in Indianapolis as leaders in the driver standings. The duo’s margin over their second-placed brand colleagues Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet is 100 points.

The customer team Proton Competition underlined their strong form after a good qualifying session on race day. In the race’s first half, works driver Gianmaria Bruni in the No. 5 car particularly shone. The Italian improved to third position at the start and even led the race behind the wheel of the German team’s Porsche 963 at times by the race’s midpoint. Proton Competition eventually finished fifth, followed by the identical car of JDC-Miller MotorSports.

Race results

GTP class:

1)Tandy/Jaminet (UK/F) Porsche 963 #6 62 laps
2)Cameron/Nasr (USA/BR) Porsche 963 #7 +0.390 seconds
3)R. Taylor/Albuquerque (USA/P) Acura #10 +1.150 seconds
5)Bruni/Viscaal (I/NL) Porsche 963 #5 +10.084 seconds
6)Van der Helm/Westbrook (NL/UK) Porsche 963 #85 +10.904 seconds

GTD Pro class:

1.⁠ ⁠Altoe/Serra (I/BR), Ferrari #35, 61 laps
2.⁠ ⁠Snow/Sellers (USA/USA), BMW #1, + 1,873 seconds
3.⁠ ⁠Riberas/Gunn (E/UK), Aston Martin #23, + 14,613 seconds
4.⁠ ⁠Heinrich/Andlauer (D/F), Porsche 911 GT3 R #77, 1 lap down

GTD class:

1)Foley/Gallagher (USA/USA) BMW #96 60 laps
2)Iribe/Schandorff (USA/DK) McLaren #70 +1.130 seconds
3)Monk/McAleer (USA/UK) Acura #66 +7.206 seconds
10)Fjordbach/Li (DK/CHN) Porsche 911 GT3 R #86 +14.440 seconds
13)Adelson/Skeer (USA/USA) Porsche 911 GT3 R #120 14 laps down

AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R stays on top of the standings after fourth place

In the GTD Pro category, the AO Racing team once again maximized the Porsche 911 GT3 R’s potential. German driver Laurin Heinrich and Frenchman Julien Andlauer piloted the pink-liveried No. 77 car flawlessly over the 2:40-hour distance to finish fourth. The team thus defended its lead in the championship. The identical cars from MDK Motorsports and Wright Motorsports finished 10th and thirteenth in the GTD category.

The ninth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship takes place on 25 August at Virginia International Raceway. Only the two GT classes will compete. The top GTP category will not return until 22 September, when a six-hour endurance race will be held for the first time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The “26 Hours” of Daytona Classic 24 – 2020

Drivers’ comments after the race

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #6): “Fortune favors the brave, as they say. That was certainly true for us today. We calculated that we could challenge for the win at the end if we saved as much fuel as possible in the second half of the race. I adhered to that. We also got lucky with the yellow flags. Had the safety car come in a lap earlier, I probably wouldn’t have finished – but it worked out perfectly. The last laps were wild, with lots of contact in the lapped traffic. It was a spectacle, but one with a perfect ending for us.”

Nick Tandy (Porsche 963 #6): “After the disappointing qualifying, we knew we had one of the slowest GTP cars at Road America. With that in mind, we went into the race on Sunday. Just over two hours later, we’re on the podium with both crews celebrating a one-two finish. It’s incredible! But that’s what the IMSA series is all about. We love it and look forward to every single race. Today’s success is a testament to the fact that we never give up and always pull together as a team.”

Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #7): “The last laps under green were eventful, to put it mildly. When we hit the lapped GT traffic with the leading cars, it was chaotic. But we somehow survived. Today’s result is perfect for Porsche and the Porsche Penske Motorsport team. At one point, I thought it was all over: After being hit from behind by a competitor, we had to make an extra stop. After that, we just aimed to maximize our points haul. We achieved that optimally.”

Bent Viscaal (Porsche 963 #5): “We made significant progress since the previous race at Watkins Glen. Fifth place is a decent result. It was my first time at Road America this weekend, and I learned a lot – unfortunately, about handling cold tires the hard way. I lost a lot of positions, which I regret for the team. I simply lack experience in that area. But overall, things are going quite well.”

Tijmen van der Helm (Porsche 963 #85): “Sixth place is okay. We made a few minor mistakes today. Considering that, we can be pleased with the result. We’re taking a lot of learnings and know exactly what we need to work on ahead of the next race in Indianapolis.”

Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “For Julien and me, it was our first race at Road America, and it was a great experience. We had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, we lacked pace compared to some of the other manufacturers’ cars. That was very clear. So, damage limitation was our priority. With smart strategy and clean driving, we achieved fourth place. Our lead in the championship has narrowed slightly, but we’re still in front – that was our main goal.”